“Pack Your Things,” the Mafia Boss Snarled—By Midnight, His Wife Had Vanished Without a Trace
Chapter 10
The old docks were deserted by sunrise.
Matteo, Elena, Isabella, and Lucio entered through a rusted gate.
The river moved slowly beneath the fog.
Elena held the wedding ring.
The numbers opened an iron door beneath the dock.
Inside was a narrow tunnel.
They walked for several minutes.
At the end stood a steel vault.
Matteo entered the code.
The door opened.
Inside were ledgers.
Photographs.
Bank records.
Letters.
And a small cassette recorder.
Isabella picked it up.
Her hands shook.
“Robert.”
She pressed play.
His voice filled the room.
“If you’re hearing this, I’m already gone.”
Matteo closed his eyes.
Robert continued.
“The people who control the network are not criminals hiding in alleys. They wear suits. They sit on boards. They sign laws. They own banks.”
Elena listened.
“The ledger contains only their names. The evidence proving what they did is here.”
Robert explained the entire scheme.
Illegal shipping contracts.
Bribes.
Stolen properties.
False arrests.
Deaths disguised as accidents.
At the center was one name.
Victor Santoro.
Matteo knew him.
A respected businessman.
A man who had publicly supported Matteo’s organization for years.
Victor was the real architect.
Michael had been his servant.
Gabriel had been another.
Matteo stared at the documents.
“Victor.”
Isabella nodded.
“He killed Robert.”
Elena looked at Matteo.
“What will you do?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Then he closed the vault.
“We expose him.”
“No killing?”
Matteo looked at her.
“I promised you I would stop deciding everything with violence.”
She stepped closer.
“And if he comes for us?”
“Then I protect you.”
“But not by lying.”
Matteo nodded.
“Not by lying.”
They left the vault.
But they didn’t see the man watching from the opposite side of the river.
Victor Santoro lowered his binoculars.
Beside him stood Gabriel.
“You found it,” Gabriel said.
Victor smiled.
“No.”
He looked toward the tunnel.
“They found it for us.”
